Aug. 26, just passed, is the little-known and hardly celebrated “Women’s Equality Day” in the United States. Why is there such a day? And how can there be such a day when women do not have equality? I will try to explain.

Women’s Equality Day stems from a “Resolution to Recognize” passed by the United States Congress in 1973 at the urging of U.S. Rep. Bella Abzug. The date was chosen in order to commemorate the day the 19th Amendment, by which women finally achieved the right to vote, became the law of the land. In addition to recognizing women achieving the right to vote, the resolution goes on to state that Women’s Equality Day is designed to recognize that “the women of the United States have been treated as second class citizens and have not been entitled the full rights and privileges … which are available to male citizens of the United States.” Furthermore, the president of the United States is to issue these words as a proclamation on every Women’s Equality Day.

I was frankly clueless that Congress had ever officially stated that women had been treated as second-class citizens. Today, 50 years later, women are still treated as second-class citizens in that women still do not have the fundamental constitutional right to equality, are underrepresented in the halls of power, are discriminated against in the workforce, paid less than men for performing the same job, suffer domestic violence without adequate support from the justice system and receive unequal access to education and health care.

Now in 2024, fifty years after recognizing a Women’s Equality Day, one political party is fighting against women and their rights. Many women have lost reproductive rights, and all women stand to lose reproductive, civil and voting rights, as women are in danger of being forced to go back to a time when they had no rights by a far right Republican Party.

But the other political party, in a convention full of energy and joy, demonstrated that women are to be equal partners with men in our political and societal endeavors. I was able to witness this firsthand as one of 30 voting delegates from the state of Maine at the recent Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

On the final night, as Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her nomination to run for president of the United States, she did so amongst a sea of white throughout the seated delegates in the convention hall. This “sea” consisted of women dressed in white to honor the women who worked so hard to finally deliver the right to vote to women in 1920 after 75 years of sacrifice and effort. I too was dressed in white. But what we were celebrating also was women moving toward gaining full equality.

This was done by nominating a woman for president of the United States, but there was much more. The entirety of the convention and related activities showed America what equality for women looks like.

There was an abundance of women speakers, many of them elected representatives, proving that women are running for office and winning. In a victory for Maine and its women’s rights, our first woman governor, Gov. Mills, was featured in announcing Maine’s vote for the presidential nominee. There was a program which featured all eight Democratic women governors. Vice President Harris’ Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters, who work toward high scholastic and ethical standards and to be of “service to all mankind” were present in large numbers. Quite simply, the equality of women in the Democratic Party was celebrated. As opposed to the Republican Party convention, an event where women took hit after hit after hit.

In speaking with women of all ages and races and from so many states, I found that we all shared a commitment to democracy, to women’s rights and to justice. We spoke of our obligations to organize, to advocate, to change laws and to provide education, training and assistance, all in service of advancing women’s rights. It was extraordinary.

In that sea of white rolled a blue wave that transported its energy to the cause of equality for women. When a woman president of the United States issues the 2025 Women’s Equality Day Proclamation, it will be one of the greatest moments of all time for equal rights for women.